Confusion reigns in recycling

Ratepayers were wrongly told at a Bunbury City Council meeting earlier this month that all glass they were putting into their yellow-topped bins was being sent to landfill.

The South Western Times last week reported that glass from Bunbury’s recycling bins was not being recycled after being told by City of Bunbury chief executive Andrew Brien it was cheaper to produce glass in WA than to recycle it.

Perthwaste/Green Recycling, which has the council’s contract to process recyclables, has since contacted the South Western Times to confirm almost all glass from Bunbury’s recycling bins was not going to landfill, but was transported to Adelaide to be processed.

Mr Brien this week said there “appeared to be some confusion’’ about glass recycling.

“Some glass, that is broken glass, does go to landfill,’’ he said.

“The balance is then transported interstate for recycling.

“It is railed to Adelaide as Perth does not have a suitable plant to accept and process glass.’’

Wellington Regional waste education officer Margaret Macindoe, who is employed by the councils in the Greater Bunbury area, said the city recycled about 402 tonnes of glass in 2011 and 2012.

“The glass was sent to South Australia for processing as glass is no longer recycled in WA,’’ she said.